Snuggle Mountain by Applicable2U

  Snuggle Mountain
     by PicPocket Books

PicPocket Books has been at it once again with another winning interactive story application.  Added to their  collection, a print form book turned mobile, Snuggle Mountain for the iPad device is definitely one  you won’t want to miss.  Snuggle Mountain would be a wonderful addition to any home library as well as a classroom environment.  Designed to meet the needs of those just learning to read as it builds ones imagination.   There are a number of app development groups that specifically design a variety of children’s books for the mobile learning market, but PicPocket Books adds a piece unlike any other.  Their book apps include questioning and connections to both home and school for purposes of extended communication.  Through these extension activities, readers will be meeting the necessary goals for early elementary students as they practice reading and developing upon key vocabulary such as: characters, setting, and beginning/middle/end.  Snuggle Mountain is just one of the many interactive books that PicPocket Books has to offer which will spark a readers higher order thinking skills.  For these simple reasons, Snuggle Mountain is applicable to you.

Upon entering Snuggle Mountain, readers are immediately interacting with the story as they touch the main character, Emma, her dog and cat from page to page.  Although the cat and dog may not have something new to say, Emma certainly does.  This was a pleasant surprise on our part!  With a great deal of details and various forms of figurative language, author Lindsey Lane has written a story which you can truly picture in your mind without even seeing with the help of what appears to be a young narrator. It’s a story app that opens ones creativity and imagination.  Come climb Snuggle Mountain and envision enormous giants as they are trapped in a sleeping spell.  Illustrated by Melissa Iwai, she has encompassed in her drawings things of the real world as it plays on your eyes and what is not real.   Young readers will be asking such questions as: Will Emma get to the top?  What will she find? What will break ones sleeping spell?  As you read as a family, individually, or in a classroom, make a connection to your own morning routine as you go on an amazing adventure.  Leave with not only a story having been told, but also a special surprise at the end!

Applicable2U definitely gives Snuggle Mountain a thumbs up!  Through this developmental collaboration of people, a wonderful story is told  and can be enjoyed no matter where you happen to be. If you would like to learn more about PicPocket Books, please click here to visit their website.  If you have a young child, boy or girl, around the ages of 4 – 6, then it’s time to snuggle up and read. You can click here to begin downloading Snuggle Mountain to your iTunes library today!

Reviewers website: www.applicable2u.wordpress.com

Present for Milo by Applicable2U

A Present for Milo
by Ruckus Media Group

   Drum roll please!!!!! Ruckus Media Group has teamed together with illustrator and author Mike Austin, on an interactive book for your iPad device, A Present for Milo. Ever wonder what your cat does during the day to keep themselves occupied?  Most people would think they play with cat toys or sleep.  In this story, Milo’s cat toy is his family of mice friends.  Through a crazy cat and mouse chase a story is told.  One might think of the animated show of Tom and Jerry, but with a twist. These two have only friendship and admiration towards one another.  A Present for Milo will not only entertain you, but it will also warm your heart. Since its launch to the iPad, A Present for Milo has received two awards, the About.com Reader’s Choice Award and a Mom’s Choice Award.  Knowing that information, Applicable2U had to see what all the buzz was about and how this interactive book could apply to my family and yours.

Not only is Mike Austin the illustrator and author but he is also the narrator as well.  This interactive story truly takes advantage of what people are calling the iPad playground.  As your little one reads this book, they might not feel as though they are reading a book, but rather watching a movie. With outstanding illustrations, sound affects and animation, children ages 2-5 will want to add this application to the top of their book list.  As your little one approaches the pre-reading stage, A Present for Milo, is easy enough to follow along through the use of repetition, animated pictures and words,  your child(ren) will soon be reading the book to you.  Although the narrator is reading, you too can become an integral part of the book. As you read, be sure to tap various objects on each page.  Magically your finger can become a magic wand.  With a simple tap, you can play the piano, animate various picture frames, fly a rocket ship, and even take a picture.  What more can you ask for in a book that provides your child(ren) smiles, laughter, and yes, even learning!

With an adorable twist at the end of the story, users will be understand the significance of the title.  With the help of our two friends, a lesson will be learned.  No matter what your interests are, what stereotypes have been set, the bond of a friendship can happen between anyone – people or even animals  When an interactive book offers opportunities to explore both independently and as a family, that encourages the skill of predicting what will happen when the page turns, and teaches a lesson, that is a home run.  Children will expect that in future interactive book downloads as it has sparked their love of reading.  If you would like to learn more about Ruckus Media Group, please be sure to visit their website here.  Or you can begin downloading this well written and developed app from your iTunes library here.

Reviewers website:  www.applicable2u.wordpress.com

Week End Reading: 4 Best Kids Picture Book Apps

Book on the iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad can give a new dimension to reading, a new way to encourage and stimulate reading among children. EBooks, interactive books, or book apps are just different names for books that can be read on mobile devices. 

Every week end we try to let you know about books we enjoyed during the week.

Here are 4 book apps that we read this week and really enjoyed and interest you to sahre in the clasroom.

First a great story, The Bird with the Rainbow Tail and since it Halloween time, Fun Educational Apps selected: 

3 Top Kids Picture Book Apps 

 related to Halloween

The Bird with the Rainbow Tail: Is a wonderful story that first presents a world without colour, where all creatures and living things are black, white and grey until a magical bird and a rainbow changes everything.A beautifully illustrated picture book app, where all illustration have been hand drawn, with a great message on how colours can let you see the world with different eyes, it makes it so much brighter and nicer.

The Bird with the Rainbow Tail has been written Valerie Greeley, an established children’s book illustrator and her husband Tony Corrigan an English teaching specialist.

3 Best Halloween Kids Picture Book Apps 

As we are getting closer to Halloween, some children might be scarred of strange looking things or people.  Hence the choice of this classic from Dr.Seuss series for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad.

What Was I Scared Of?
Perfect for Halloween or any time of the year, this story delivers a timeless message about fear and tolerance. The tale begins with a character who repeatedly meets up with an empty pair of pale-green pants. The character is initially afraid of the pants, which are able to stand on their own despite the lack of a wearer. However when he screams for help and the pants also start to cry, he realizes that "They were just as scared as I!" Putting fear in the proper perspective, the empty pants become good friends with the character.

What was I Scared of?  Picture book apps offer the following features: professional narration, background audio and enlarged artwork for each scene.  To promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are touched. 

Boy Dumplings: Is a great story, where you first start with a hungry ghost; you then add a plum, a delicious-looking boy. And finally you mix then with an outrageous recipe. Boy Dumplings is a very entertaining and fun-filled picture book that will delight kids. 

The result, an exciting story about a ghost who can’t wait to sink his teeth into his next meal and a boy who will need to think fast if he doesn’t want to get turned into dumplings. 

Boy Dumpling has been by written Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by James Yamasaki.

Eric and the Enchanted Leaf: A Night with Echo

Eric has special powers when he touches an enchanted leaf. A night with Echo teaches Eric (and young readers) about wonderful andamazing facts about bats and their habitat.
Eric and The Enchanted Leaf: A Night with Echo has been written byDeborah K. Frontiera and illustrated by Korey Scott.

This picture book apps offer detailed and clear full colour illustrations. The text is easily readable and the books for the youngest set of readers includes a “learn-to-read” feature where the text is highlighted as the words are spoken, encouraging a connection between the written and spoken word for emergent readers.

Hope you will enjoy reading these picture book apps as much as we did. 

For more educational apps, feel free to visit: Fun Eudcational Apps

(Kids Book Apps Review)

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Remember, many kids will see the iPod Touch or iPad as a gaming device, but with our help they can get much more out of it. Help them use it for more things than just games and music and download Fun Educational Apps for them.

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